Thorn-removing device



July 25, 1939. v DE MEES'II'ER 2,167,337

THORN-REMOVING DEVICE Filed April 2, 19:57

INVENTOR. Ma u rice De Must ATTORNEY. S

Patented July 25, 1939 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 2,167,337 THORN-REMOVING DEVICE Maurice De Meester, Detroit, Mich.

Application April 2, 1937, Serial .No. 134,591

6 Claims.

This invention relates to a device for cleaning stems and stalks such as by removing thorns and/or foliage from the stems of flowers such as roses, snapdragons, and the like.

It is the object of this invention to produce a simple device for efficiently and expeditiously cleaning the stems of flowers by removing thorns and/or foliage without injuring the stem.

In the drawing:

Fig. 1 shows a rose stem inserted in the thorn removing device preparatory to removing the thorns from the stem.

Fig. 2 shows the device partly in section and a stem in the process of removing thorns.

Fig. 3 is a bottom plan View of the thorn removing device.

Figs. 4 and 5 are sections along the lines 44 and 55 of Fig. 2.

Referring more particularly to the drawing the device comprises a pair of arms I and 2 hinged together at one end by the pin 3, opposed pairs of rollers 4 and 5 carried by the arms I and 2 respectively, and opposed knives 6 and 'I also carried by the arms I and 2 respectively. The arms I and 2 are normally held apart by the hairpin spring 8 mounted between the arms I and 2 having one end secured to the arm I as at 9 and the other secured to the arm 2 as at I0. Preferably the opening movement fo the arms I and 2 is limited by a stop comprising a metal.

strip I I fixed at one end to the arm 2 and having its outer end return bent as at I2 to serve as a stop against which the other arm I abuts as the arms are swung open by the hairpin spring 8.

Since as a general rule the ordinary thorny stem is crooked, it is desirable to avoid severing, skinning or otherwise injuring the stem that it be straightened before being passed through the opposed knives 6 and I. To this end the opposed rollers 4 and 5 are mounted on the arms I and 2 ahead of knives 6 and I so that the rollers are contacted before the knives. The rollers 4 are rotatably mounted on the pins I3 and the rollers .5 are rotatably mounted on the pins I4. The pins I3 are spaced lengthwise of the arm I and the pins I4 are similarly spaced lengthwise of the arm 2 and positioned opposite the pins I3. Thus the rollers 4 are positioned opposite the rollers 5.

Each of the arms I and 2 has fixed thereto a knife support I5 for removably supporting the knives 6 and I. The knives 6 and I are secured to their respective supports by screws I6. By referring to Fig. '4 it will be noted that the cutting edges of the knives 6 and I when brought together define a complete circle I? for completely encircling the stem I8 from which the thorns I9 and/or foliage 30 are: being removed.

Preferably the free end of the arms I and 2 are curved as at 20 so that the head portions 2| and 22 of the arms I and 2 which support the rollers 4 and 5 and knives 6 and I are offset from the hand grip portions 23 of the arms I and 2. Thus during the operation of the device to remove the thorns, the thorny stem I8 is ofiset from the hands of the operator which obviates the danger of the thorns scratching the hands of the operator as the stem is pulled through the rollers and knives.

In operation the thorny stem I 8 of any flower, such as the rose, herein shown is positioned between the opposed rollers 4 and 5 while the arms I and 2 are in the open position shown in Fig. 1. The arms I and 2 are then closed as shown in Fig. 2. At this time the stem I8 is held between the opposed rollers 4 and 5 and the cutting edge of the knives 6 and I completely encircle the stem I3. The pressure with which the rollers engage the stem can be regulated manually. After the thorny stem is positioned between the rollers, as shown in Fig. 1, and the arms I and 2 are closed, the stem is then moved leftward, that is, from the rollers toward the knives B and I, as indicated by the arrow in Fig. 2. At this time the rollers which are ahead of the knives, along with the pull exerted on the stem I8 straighten the stem preparatory to passing the stem through the knives 6 and I. This obviates any danger of the knives cutting into the stem itself. As the stem moves leftward in the direction of the arrows from the rollers through the knives, the thorns and foliage are removed as indicated. Inasmuch as the knives 6 and 1 practically encircle the stem I8 all of the thorns are removed.

The arms I and 2 are also provided with knives 3| and 32 so that the device can also be used as a shear for cutting stems or stalks,

I claim:

1. A device for removing projections such as thorns and the like from a stem comprising a pair of arms movable toward and away from each other, a knife carried by each arm, and 00- operating guides on each of said arms ahead of said knives for guiding the stem preparatory to passing through said knives, the cutting edge of each knife being aligned with the guide on said arm, the guide and the knife on the one arm being opposed to the guide and the knife on the other arm whereby a stem can be positioned between the opposed guides and knives and the said of the knife on the said arm whereby a stem, can

arms moved towards each other to bring the guides into contact with the stems whereupon the stem can be drawn through the guides and knives to clean the same by removing thorns, foliage and the like.

2. A device for removing projections such as thorns and the like from a stem comprising a pair of arms movable toward and away from each other, a knife having a concave cutting edge carried by each arm, concave guides carried by said arms ahead of said knives for guiding the stem preparatory to passing through said knives, the

cutting edge of each knife being aligned with the guide on said arm, the guide and the knife on the one arm being opposed to the guide and the knife on the other arm whereby a stem can be positioned between the opposed guides and knives and the said arms moved towards each other to bring the guides into contact with the stems whereupon the stem may be drawn through the guides and knives to clean the same by removing thorns, foliage and the like.

3. A device for removing projections. such as thorns and the like from a stem comprising a pair of arms pivoted together, a roller and a knife carried by each arm, the said knives having their cutting edges positioned to out only when the stem is drawn through the knives in a predetermined direction, the roller and the knife on the one arm being opposed to the roller and the knife on the other arm, the roller on each arm being positioned ahead of the cutting edge of the knife on said arm, the said knives and rollers being adapted to be moved towards each other when the arms are pivoted toward closed position whereby the rollers guide therebetween the stem ahead of said knives as the stem is drawn through the rollers and knives to remove the thorns therefrom.

4. A device for cleaning stems by removing thorns, foliage and the like therefrom comprising opposed support arms movable toward and away from each other, a plurality of rollers carried by the one arm in opposed relation to a pluralityof rollers carried by the other arm, the said rollers on each arm being spaced longitudinally and aligned with each other, a knife carried by the one arm in opposed relation to a knife carried by the other arm, the said knives having their cutting edges positioned to out only when the stem is drawn through the knives in a predetermined direction, the rollers on each arm being positioned ahead of the cutting edge of the knife on said arm, the guiding surfaces of the rollers on each arm being aligned with the cutting edge be inserted between the opposed rollers and knives and the arms moved toward each other to bring the opposed rollers in contact with the stem at spaced points and the rollers serve as a guide for the stem and straighten the same as the stem is drawn through the rollers preparatory to being passed through the knives whereby the knives remove thorns and foliage from the said stem without cutting into the stem.

5. A device for cleaning stems by removing thorns, foliage and the like therefrom comprising opposed support arms movable toward and away from each other, a lurality of concave rollers carried by the one arm in opposed relation to a. plurality of concave rollers carried by the other arm, the said rollers on each arm being spaced longitudinally and aligned with each other, a knife having a concave cutting edge carried by the one arm in opposed relation to a knife having a concave cutting edge carried by the other arm, the said knives having their cutting edges positioned to cut only when the stem is drawn through the knives in a predetermined direction, the rollers on each arm being positioned ahead of the cutting edge of the knife on said arm, the guiding surfaces of the rollers on each arm being aligned with the cutting edge of the knife on the said arm whereby a stem can be inserted between the opposed rollers and knives and the arms moved toward each other to bring the opposed rollers in contact with the stem at spaced points and the rollers serve as a guide for the stem and straighten the same as the stem is drawn through the rollers preparatory to being passed through the knives whereby the knives remove thorns and foliage from the said stem without cutting into the stem.

6. A device for removing projections such as thorns, foliage and the like from a stem comprising a pair of arms movable toward and away from each other, the said arms having a hand grip portion and a head portion offset one from the other, a knife carried by each head portion, the said knives having their cutting edges positioned to out only when the stem is drawn through the knives in a predetermined direction, a guide roller carried by each head portion ahead of the cutting edge of the knife on said arm, for guiding the stem preparatory to passing the same through the said knives-the guide roller and the knife on the one head being opposed to the guide and the knife on the other head whereby a stem can be positioned between the rollers and. the head portions moved toward each other to bring the opposed rollers in contact with the stem and the stem can be drawn through the rollers and then through the knife for cleaning the same whereby the stem as it is passed through the rollers and knives is offset from the hand grip portion of the said device.

MAURICE DE MEESTER. 

